Labors of Playfulness

With the final holiday of summer we are reminded that it is time to go back to work. The long days are beginning to shorten and we should return to routine: put that nose to the grindstone, crack those books wide open, and adhere to all the rest of the cliches and sayings. The transition back to the schedules of school and work can be met with some resistance. It can be like someone took all the games from the playground and left you with an expanse of emptiness. Perhaps you resign to the realities of work and let the fun fade like a summer tan.

But what if we didn’t resign ourselves so easily? Sure the calendar ticks off the days and the sun is going to start playing more hide than seek, but does that mean we have to give up our attitude of playfulness? I’m not advocating for clown noses and big red shoes to work, but even if we don’t outwardly carry a jovial spirit all the time, can’t we start with carrying one inside?

In a mediation I did this past month, through Oprah & Deepak 21 Day Meditation, the focus was on inviting more happiness into your life. There were many thoughts to consider and I will do the entire mediation an injustice by picking just one piece, but I find it is the mantra from one meditation that I go back to again and again: Lila Hum (pronounced ‘lee-la’). Lila Hum translates to I am playful.

What a delicious mantra to bring onto your yoga mat as you begin a practice—one rooted in turning inward, but finding a lightness not only in the body but in the mind. What a curious idea to pack along in the briefcase or computer satchel—a little attitude that you can be productive and powerful, but you can also pull out a little playfulness.

What I think I like most about such a mantra is that I can use it to break up the routine of the day. At the grocery store—waiting in line—I smile and think, Lila Hum. My run that has become so slow that it is sometimes difficult for my constitution to consider it running, changes when I open my eyes to the wonderful nature around me and think, Lila Hum.

The intention is not to make everything a game or to downgrade that which is serious, but in a world with so much tragedy and struggle, perhaps one response we can offer is an attitude that positions positiveness with peace as well as a dose of playfulness. That playfulness can be found in the simplest of actions—start with a smile, share a laugh with a friend, listen to music that makes your feet move.

As you finish your final official weekend of the summer, don’t pack away the attitude that offers joy to yourself and others. Instead, infuse a little playfulness all year long.